Underwear as Outerwear: A Legacy
Bustiers. Slip dresses. The “whale tail.” Oh, and the codpiece.
If you grew up accustomed to hearing your mother yell, “You’re not going out dressed like that!” on your way out the door, you might be a millennial. Or a Gen Xer. Or a boomer. Or a member of the Lost Generation.
In fact, if your mom ever told you that what you had on “looked like underwear,” you may very well belong to any generation since the first person donned an animal hide or a softened swath of bark, because just about every decade has had its own scandalous, skimpy, or at least suggestive style piece that toed the line between underwear and outerwear.
And despite the fact that it’s always billed as a “new trend,” even a cursory glance through the history books (or back issues of any women’s magazine) will prove that the lines between outer and under have been blurred for some time. Even the distinction between what’s considered underwear has shifted with the currents of fashion, dating back to the very birth of undergarments themselves.
A Quick History of Undies
Folks of all stripes across all continents began wearing clothes to protect themselves from the elements pretty much from the moment they first picked up tools and felt a stiff breeze or the beating…
